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Topic: pettibone skidders (Read 48057 times)

Hey all just looking to get some info on the pettibone skidders. A local sawmill owner has made me an offer to trade me a pettibone skidder for my brush bandit chipper. I would like to know the good and bad of these skidders, if any one has any input or knows anything about them please tell. I haven't gone to look at it yet so I don't know year or model. But from what I have been told by one of the sawmill workers is that it has a 3-53 Detroit and it runs very well and has good rubber on it. Just a little concerned that if I do go ahead with the trade that it is a good first skidder and parts can still be had for them if something should break.

Pettibone was pretty solid and good. There were many modles some i am not familure with. Parts are available from the company. You have to find a dealer or get the parts list from pettibone. I have one (small) If its in good shape you will not go wrong. Yes in some areas of the country they were more popualr than others. Read the post on the 501 on here.

Thanks jocco for the info. What did they have for axles and winches? What typically goes bad on them besides the normal skidder stuff? What model do you have? Are they easy to work on? Again thanks for the info.

My 501 has a gearmatic 19 winch, the axles are stamped "Pettibone" whether they actually manufactured them or not I couldn't say. Parts are available through Tiffin Parts, which is a division of the Pettibone company. I ordered a parts manual through them.

h generaly 9 19 or 119 gearmatic. Good winch cab have a few quirks. Axles good question? I have seen the pettibone/michigan type, the rockwell and some may have had others. I have a master 5 They all have there good and bad features to work on. To sum it up i can see some franklin, tree farmer and international in most of the modles all of witch i am familure with. They are nothing like a deere or timberjack. I would make sure all the running gear is solid the biggest problem on the winch are bands and hydraulics.

Got some more info on the skidder, It has a 4-53 not a 3-53 and it has a standard transmission and gear matic winch. It does however need a seal in the winch and the service brakes don't work but the E brake works. Are the seals available and are brakes parts available? Are they easy to work on? I'm hoping to go look at it this week so I'm just trying to get some impute on the issues that it has so I have some bargaining power.

If it has a 4 53 probably a master 8 or similar larger skidder. On the winch most 19 119 parts are available if it should be a 21 type not so. The 19 uses brake cylinders similar to a car. You really need to pin down the information on this and call pettibone or look at other suppliers example if it new process tranny or rockwell axel.

Thanks jocco how do I determine if the axles are rockwells? And how do I tell what transmission it has? What usally goes bad on the brakes to keep them from working? Also it oscillates in the rear section of the machine instead of the front axle is this a disadvantage or a advantage thanks for the info.

Mine has the rear oscillation too, I like it except it looks more complex to repair than a front axle setup. I'd agree, if it really has a 453 it must be one of the larger machines. My service brake is a hydraulic disc, it is on a shaft that has the drum parking brake on the other end of it.

Thanks for the info barbender is there any advantage to the rear oscillation? I think it might be a master 8 it is a little bigger than a 664 clark from what I have been told. Is the brake system a hard thing to repair or is it a pretty simple system.

Logman, there's a few things I prefer about the rear oscillation. 1-your blade follows your front wheels, which is pretty handy. 2-you don't get the surprise slap in the side of the head when one of your rear wheels hits a stump you missed with the front wheels. You see the bumps the front fixed axle is going to hit- if that makes any sense. I haven't worked on my brakes at all, but in the parts manual it looks like there is a countershaft in the tranny, maybe its the transfer case, with the disc service brake on one end and the drum parking brake on the other end. Looks pretty simple in the book

logman: You will have to know axles or post pictures etc. There are different sizes/types of each. Same for transmissions but you may get lucky and have a tag/name plate. On ebay there is quite a few books for pettibone skidders and there was modle 1000 etc also. Brakes: depends on modle some may be hydralic mine is mechanical like a brake brum on a car. usually shoes or linkage or hydraulic failure is cause of problem. If you mean cradle on the rear axle, some franklins had that it also works good.

Thanks guys for the info I'm starting to feel a little more educated on this skidder I really appreciated. And if anyone else has info they would like to share please do. I am thinking I might just go fourth with it if the trade is fair it would be a big improvement having a skidder over the tractor. I hope to go look at it soon they had to pull the rad out of it because it had a small leak . But it should be up and running soon for my to try it out. What should I be looking for when I test it? I know I should be looking at things like pins and bushings, trying the winch, making sure the clutch is good by pushing against something and seeing if all four wheels spin those sort of things.

Logman if i was serious i would pull some oil out of the running gear (some have magnetic plugs) look for any grindings. Take cover off winch and look at bands if its a gearmatic. They are prone to rust and seperation. Check u joints/yokes and pinions for wear (mine has clark running gear.) Any skidder can be running today and in pieces tommorow Where i suceeded is i could fix one when others failed. If it makes you feal any better over the years one of mine has had winch, tranny, transphre rebuilt New motor, clutchs, new hyd lines and cylinder rebuilt along with contol valves A few new tires and panataries to boot. I am pretty familure with that machine Also look for a lot of welded up or crudly repaired parts.

Logman, all of the replies have been about the skidder. What about your trade? What model Brush Bandit is it and what is it worth? Do you feel it will be an even trade and will you miss not having the chipper?

bill m my chipper is '92 brush bandit model 200+ with a fully rebuilt Cummings 3.9 with less than 100 hrs on it since rebuilt. It is in real good shape everything works as it should I feel it is worth about the same or very close to it. I may have to put a small amount of money towards the skidder but not to much the mill owner is willing to work something out with me. I don't think I will miss it to much as most of my jobs don't require me to do much chipping if any I have used no more than twice this year. I figure I can make enough money with the skidder that if I do need a chipper I can always get another one if needed or borrow a friends chipper.